Storage and dispensing unit



March 8, 1966 s. SIMON STORAGE AND DISPENSING UNIT Filed Sept. 30, 1963 FIG-3 INVENTOR. SIDNEY SIMON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,239,295 STUIRAGE AND DISPENSING UNIT Sidney Simon, 8324 Graham Ave, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Sept. 30, 1963, er. No. 312,478 Claims. (Cl. 312-) This invention relates to wall-mounted toilet paper holders, and particularly to a fixture which is adapted to receive extra roll of toilet tissue therewithin.

The problem of storing spare rolls of toilet tissue in a convenient way, readily accessible in case of need, is one that exists in every household. The same need arises in apartments, motels, hotels and office buildings. It exists because the routine of replenishment by the domestic or maintenance staff is frequently found inadequate to keep up with the possibility of exhaustion of the available supply, with the resulting inconvenience and embarrassment to users of the facilities.

This has led to a number of auxiliary storage means, all of which, however, have been subject to such defects as to prevent them from being generally adopted. The present invention discloses a holder which is substantially similar in its outward appearance to the generally installed wall-mounted types of paper roll holders. It differs, however, in the provision for concealed storage of additional rolls of tissue, readily accessible and yet providing no additional externally visible elements.

The instant invention contemplates the combination of an apparently conventional tissue holder with a concealed storage compartment or box which may be installed in the wall during framing. The box may be formed of conventional material such as sheet metal or plastic, for example. It is of proper size to hold two spare rolls of tissue, disposed one at each end, and recessed within the chamber behind the walls. When a roll of paper is exhausted, the exposed holder portion may be quickly and easily removed from the wall. This affords access to the stored supply in the space behind the fixture in the wall, the spare rolls being readily accessible when the fixture is removed.

A spare may then be pulled out from the hollow storage chamber and placed in the holder in normal position for use.

The only part externally visible is the holder itself, which appears to be a conventional built-in toilet paper roll fixture.

The objects of the invention thus include:

Providing a toilet tissue storage container and holder, all in one unit, recessed into the wall; and

Providing concealed storage means within the bathroom wall from which additional toilet tissue may be readily removed for use.

A further object is to provide means for preventing the embarrassment of finding the toilet tissue supply exhausted; and

A still further object is to provide a concealed container for an additional supply of toilet tissue which is readily accessible to a person making use of the bathroom facilities at the time the previous roll becomes exhausted.

These and other objects will be apparent from a more detailed study of the figures and descriptions appended hereto, and it is to be understood that variations may be made in the exact form of the illustrated embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of the device installed in a wall with the tissue-holding portion pulled forward from its position of normal use, in order that the constructional details may be seen more clearly;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic perspective rear view of the "ice tissue holder removed from its normal position, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 22 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view, partially in section, of the device in its normal position of use; and

FIGURE 4 is a side sectional view, taken as indicated by line 44 in FIGURE 1 to show additional details of construction.

Returning now to FIGURE 1 for a more detailed description of the invention, the removable tissue holder 1 has been illustrated pulled forward from its normal position in the wall storage cabinet 2. The wall storage cabinet 2 is shown in phantom line, but partly broken away to show how it would be mounted within a wall, here shown as plastered and having a tiled surface. The wall shown here for example is of conventional wood frame construction, having vertical joists which are usually separated by a standard distance of 15 to 18 inches. The wall storage cabinet 2 is of such length that it fits easily between a pair of the joists 4 and 5, and is secured thereto by screws 6 passing through suitable apertures 7 in the mounting tab members 9 fixed terminally to the cabinet 2. The apertures 7 through the mounting tabs 9 may be of non-circular shape, if desired, being extended parallel to the long dimension of the holder in order to provide some freedom in adjusting the exact position into which the mounting screws are inserted. Such an adjustable feature is conventional in the building trades to allow for minor variations in construction. Once installed, the mounting tabs and the screws are, of course, concealed by the plaster coating 10 applied to cover the wall, and by the surface layer of tile 11 or equivalent applied thereover.

The storage cabinet 2 may be formed by bending flat or sheet metal into a rectangular shape, and maintaining it in that condition by conventional means, such as a plurality of spot welds 12. The storage cabinet 2 has projecting forwardly therefrom a receiving portion 14 defining a seat for the reception of the tissue holder unit 1. Receiving portion 14 has its forward edges 15 bent at right angles thereto and outwardly so that they extend parallel to, but are spaced from the forward face 16 of cabinet 2. Each of the wall portions 14 is joined to the adjacent receiving portion for reinforcement at its corners by means such as connecting tabs 17, which may be spotwelded thereto in order to assure the necessary rigidity. The cabinet adjacent the seat 14 has suitable detents, as shown at 18, to engage .with corresponding detents 19 formed in the tissue holder unit 1 to retain it in position with a resilient locking effect.

The dimensions of the cabinet 2 lengthwise are such as to permit the storage of auxiliary rolls 20 and 21 at either end thereof, as shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 1, and still provide adequate clearance for the entry and removal of the tissue holder 1. The dimensions of the entire box assembly may be adjusted to fit the standard framing practices in the area. As for example, the end tabs 9 may have their attaching holes or apertures 7 spaced about 15 /2 inches apart to enable ready attachment to studs which are installed on 15-inch centers. If the normal spacing between studs differs in a particular area, the sizes of the end tabs 9 spacing longitudinally of the box and the holes therein may be changed to fit. The other dimensions are likewise non-critical except that they should be sufiiciently large to permit the ready insertion and removal of the spare rolls of paper and the ready installation of the box during framing of the structure without having to depart from normal construction practice for that particular area.

Tissue holder 1 fits between rolls 20 and 21, as described below, with sufiicient clearance so that the rolls will not be damaged by repeated insertion or removal of the holder.

The tissue holder unit 1 is shown in FIGURE 1 as pulled forward from its normal seated position, in which it would engage the forwardly extending wall portions 14- forming the seat 13. When seated, it is resiliently held by the detents 18, which cooperate with and engage corresponding male detent members 19 formed in a resilient attachment or backing plate 22 secured to the rear or inner side of the tissue holder unit 1. The backing plate member 22 is unitarily formed of resilient metal and is shaped in a semi-cylindrical form to be congruent with the back of the tissue holding recess 23 of member 1; it is secured thereto by means such as bolts 24 having threadably associated therewith nuts 25 or other suitable conventional fastening means. The bolts 24 extend through suitable holes 27 formed through the rear surface of the tissue holder unit 1 and through elongated slots 26 in the backing plate 22. The backing plate is depressed in the area adjacent the holes 27 in order to insure that the heads of bolts 24 will not extend forwardly of the surface of the semicylindrical tissue holding recess 23. The elon gated slots 26 are conventional expedients to avoid the necessity of high precision in locating the holes for bolts 24.

On its forward side, the external portion of the tissue holder 1 has fixed thereto a pair of arms 29 as by means: such as screws 30. These arms extend outwardly into the room, not shown, and are axially recessed at 31 to form seats to receive rotatably the ends of a pair of telescoping central tubes 32 and 33. Tubes 32 and 33 are of conventional form, with a compression spring 34 therewithin which exerts axial pressure outwardly against the ends to maintain the tube in its recesses 31. Normally, these telescoping tubes 32 and 33 are pressed into their seats 31 with sufficient spring pressure so that they are securely held therein and do not themselves rotate readily. Rotation of the roll is permitted by the large diameter of the center core, not shown but conventional, of the toilet tissue roll in relation to the telescoping tubes 32 and 33. When it is desired to insert a new roll of tissue, the tube 32 may be reduced in length by telescoping one end over the other against the pressure of the internal compression spring 34, and removed from the recesses 31. When a new roll has been placed in the tube, the ends are inserted again into recesses 31 against the pressure of the internal spring and permitted to snap outwardly into place. The resilient backing plate 22 is strengthened by the formation of two ribs 35 which provide additional rigidity. The unit 1 includes a decorative and ornamental flanged face 36 which has a lateral and vertical extent sufiicient to cover the entire wall opening, concealing any portions of the cabinet 2 which might otherwise be seen about seat 13 and any irregular spaces which may have been created in installation. This external portion has a dual function in that it prevents the accumulation of dust and debris around the opening into the wall box 2, or cabinet, and also provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The entire external portion of tissue-holding unit 1 may be easily removed from its place in the wall box by simply pulling on the handle constituted by the tubular portions 32 and 33. This will cause the resilient detent means 18 to separate from the detent members 19 by virtue of the resilience of the sheet metal.

Adverting again to the construction of the wall storage cabinet 2, the central receiving portion defined by the forwardly extending seat portions 14 and the flanges 15 provides a suitable seat 13 for the tissue holder 2 in which it may be resiliently held by the detents 18 and 19, described above. The box is sufficiently deep to permit the reception of a toilet tissue roll for storage at either end with only a slight compression of the central tube of such roll. This is normally about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. The dimensions of the tissue holder 1 and the normal rolls of toilet tissue are such that a roll may be stored on either side of the tissue holder 1 without interfering with its emplacement or removal, and its insertion into or removal from the storage space can be accomplished without damage to the tissue rolls. The inner storage cabinet 2 may be readily formed by stamping or equivalent methods from sheet metal galvanized or otherwise treated to be corrosion resistant, bending it in a series of presses and securing it together by suitable fastening means such as spot welds.

While the box has been described as formed of sheet metal, it will be obvious that a plastic might be used instead and minor modifications in the structure might be desirable to utilize to the fullest extent economies connected with other materials. Such variations are well within the scope of any design engineer.

A wall storage box when so constructed will be resistant to deterioration and at the same time will provide a weatherproof housing for the reserve storage of toilet tissue. While the finish of the wall storage cabinet 2 need only be as good as necessary to resist corrosion, the exposed portions of the holder 1 should have the same quality finish as in standard bathroom fixtures and, indeed, in external appearance the holder may be designed to match any line of fixtures having a distinctive appearance.

It will be understood that the foregoing description and examples are only illustrative of the present invention and it is not intended that the present invention be limited thereto. All substitutions, alterations and modifications of the present invention which come within the scope of the following claims or to which the present invention is readily susceptible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure are considered part of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a toilet tissue dispenser, the combination of: means defining a storage container for rolls of tissue and having a front wall provided with an aperture therethrough; a dispensing holder for a roll of tissue removably mounted in said aperture and comprising a closure therefor, said holder having a forwardly concave semicylindrical wall extending into said aperture to define a recess and means for rotatably supporting a roll of tissue in said recess; a resilient semi-cylindrical backing plate secured to the rear surface of said wall and having resilient detent means at opposed edges thereof, said detent means releasably engaging abutments on said container adjacent said aperture whereby to releasably mount said holder in said aperture.

2. A dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein said backing plate is provided with reinforcing ribs extending circumferentially therealong.

3. In a toilet tissue dispenser, the combination of: means defining a storage container for rolls of tissue and having a front wall provided with an aperture therethrough; a dispensing holder for a roll of tissue removably mounted in said aperture and comprising a closure therefor, said holder having a forwardly concave semi-cylindrical wall extending into said aperture to define a recess and means for rotatably supporting a roll of tissue in said recess; said aperture being substantially rectangular in shape and the edges thereof being defined by flanges extending forwardly from said front wall, said holder having laterally extending portions overlying the forward edges of said flanges.

4. In a toilet tissue dispenser; means defining a horizontally elongated generally rectangular storage container having a front Wall; an aperture in said front wall intermediate the ends of said container; a dispensing holder for a roll of tissue removably mounted in said aperture and comprising a closure therefor, said holder having a concave wall portion extending into said container through said aperture to define a forwardly open recess and means for rotatably mounting a roll of tissue in said recess.

5. A dispenser as defined in claim 4 wherein said aperture is bounded by flange means extending forwardly from said front wall; said holder including laterally ex- 5 6 tending edge portions overlying and covering said flange 3,010,670 11/1961 Jones et a1. 24255.3 means. 3,037,718 6/1962 Pettit 242-5S.53 References Cited by the Examiner 3,130,932 4/ 1964 Pena 31239 X UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 1,686,911 10/1928 Fredlund 242-553 5 2,867,397 1/1959 Bragg 248-27 

1. IN A TOILET TISSUE DISPENSER, THE COMBINATION OF: MEANS DEFINING A STORAGE CONTAINER FOR ROLLS OF TISSUE AND HAVING A FRONT WALL PROVIDED WITH AN APERTURE THERETHROUGH; A DISPENSING HOLDER FOR A ROLL OF TISSUE REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID APERTURE AND COMPRISING A CLOSURE THEREFOR, SAID HOLDER HAVING A FORWARDLY CONCAVE SEMICYLINDRICAL WALL EXTENDING INTO SAID APERTURE TO DEFINE A RECESS AND MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A ROLL OF TISSUE IN SAID RECESS; A RESILIENT SEMI-CYLINDRICAL BACKING PLATE SECURED TO THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID WALL AND HAVING RESILIENT DETENT MEANS AT OPPOSED EDGES THEREOF, SAID DETENT MEANS RELEASABLY ENGAGING ABUTMENTS ON SAID CONTAINER ADJACENT SAID APERTURE WHEREBY TO RELEASABLY MOUNT SAID HOLDER IN SAID APERTURE. 